


Cemetery Encounter

by sbuggbot



Category: SteamWorld Quest (Video Game)
Genre: Don't copy to another site, Feels, Found Family, Gen, Quiet Angst, Tags Are Hard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-19
Updated: 2019-08-19
Packaged: 2020-09-07 07:50:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20305999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sbuggbot/pseuds/sbuggbot
Summary: Situations force our heroes to take a shortcut through the cemetery, leading to an odd encounter for the twins...





	Cemetery Encounter

“And the shortest way there is...through the cemetery,” Copernica said with a grimace as she realized the implications behind that. “That didn’t sound as weird in my head, I swear.”

“ _ Greaaaat _ ...are we going to get mobbed by the undead?” Galleo asked. He recognized the necessity of this errand but he still didn’t like the disruption to his routine.

“What, you never play in a cemetery before?” Tarah asked as she crossed her arms with a half-grin. Thayne didn’t seem that fazed either and almost made a smile at the memories.

“No…” Armilly said while Orik pulled a weird face in reaction to how odd the twins’ childhood was.

“They’ll getcha if you don’t watch out!” Thayne said, projecting his voice a bit more than normal. He was able to keep a straight face for all of four seconds before Tarah’s laughter at the other three’s expressions made him giggle too.

Orik, the only one who hadn’t looked visibly concerned, sighed and explained, “So long as we tread respectfully, we shouldn’t run into any problems. Most of the unfriendly creatures don’t interfere with the area.” Thayne and Tarah were still giggling, which prompted him to add, “Have you two played here in the past?”

“Not this one, but another one closer to the City,” Tarah said. “They’re all kinda the same aside from who’s buried there anyway, though.”

Orik found himself at a loss for words in response to that so he just let the topic drop. 

_ “And so the heroes entered the grave atmosphere of the cemetery...” _

“Not the time, Milly.”

A little way in there a thought suddenly occurred to Orik and he stopped. 

“Are you okay, Orik?” Armilly asked. He had a distant look on his face but didn't seem totally disassociated.

“While we’re here...there’s someone I want to visit,” he said in an unusually quiet voice. 

“Who?” Thayne asked.

“Just...someone from my past who left us far too soon.” He looked away and fiddled with the solid bracelet on his wrist. “I would prefer if none of you followed.”

There was a small chorus of “okays” and Orik quietly slipped away to who knows where after reassuring the others he’d meet back up with them when he was ready.

As Tarah moved forward, Thayne stuck close to her side, his optics constantly darting around and scanning the environment for any potential threats. What he wound up pointing out to Tarah wasn’t a threat, though.

It was a couple’s grave, judging by the single larger headstone and the fact that the two buried there had the same last name. They had different assembly dates but had apparently died on the same day. That wasn’t the detail that had caught Thayne’s eye and Tarah’s attention, though...

"The last name looks familiar, and they seem old enough..."

"And look at when they died."

"Yeah…” Tarah looked down. “we would've only been a few months old then."

Even for a cemetery, the air felt oddly still as the twins cuddled even closer to each other and looked at the grave. This didn’t feel like a real moment to them, like something that could actually happen. As far as Tarah and Thayne had been concerned, their parents---the steambots that put them together---were nothing more than an abstract concept, not something that actually ever existed. 

But here they were, and both of them could feel deep down in their cores that these were their parents. It was a side effect of shared parts, something that happened to any steambot. (Although many were raised by their parents and as a result grew desensitized to the pull.)

“So are we sightseeing now?” Galleo asked, observant as a brick wall.

Copernica stomped on his foot. "Do you even THINK before opening your mouth?" she hissed through her teeth. "I think they just found their parents..."

After realizing his blunder Galleo wanted little more than for the earth to open up and swallow him whole. But then he'd have to face Algyron, so maybe not.

Orik returned from wherever he was and read the situation like a book. “I see you two found someone here to visit as well?”

Thayne didn’t look up but still nodded quietly. “Parents,” he muttered.

“I don’t get it?” Tarah blurted out after a few moments’ quiet. “These are our parents and I know this is supposed to be sad and all, but---I just feel numb.” Thayne looked over and nodded; he’d been feeling the same way. “It’s weird…”

“Correct if I’m mistaken, but you two never knew your parents, did you? You just know it’s them from the pull?”

“Mhm.”

“Perhaps it’s not so weird, then? It’s difficult to miss someone that was never part of your life or anyone else’s in your circle…”

“I guess not…”

Thayne scooted closer to Orik and pointed to one of the names. “I...I think that’s my father, but it feels weird to think of him as Dad…” He indirectly finished the thought by hugging Orik. He felt closer to a Dad...

“That’s fair,” Galleo said with a shrug. 

“My favorite people aren’t even ones who put me together!” Armilly chimed in. “My parents aren’t the ones who built me but I wouldn’t think of it any other way.”

It turned into a group hug for the twins and they all stayed like that for a while, enjoying each others’ presence. In an odd kind of way, this was something like a family for them. After all those years dealing with negligent and aloof managers, then surviving with nothing but each other to depend on, it was different.

Pretty nice, to be honest. 

“Ready to keep going?”

“Yeah, let’s go.”


End file.
